Josh Taylor v Jose Ramirez: How to watch live stream, pay-per-view details, UK start time and fight odds
The Prestonpans fighter is taking on Mexican-American Jose Ramirez with the aim of becoming the first British boxer to hold all four world titles in a weight division.
Taylor, 30, currently holds the IBF and WBA super-lightweight belts while Ramirez is the WBC and WBO champion.
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Hide AdThe winner will become the undisputed world champion in the 140lb division.
Where is the fight, what time does it start and will there be fans there?
The fight is taking place at the Virgin Hotels resort in Las Vegas on Saturday night, which will be in the early hours of Sunday morning UK time.
Coverage is scheduled to begin at around 1.30am BST and two fights will be shown before Taylor v Ramirez. Pedro Campa will take on Jose Zepeda for the WBC Silver Jr. Welterweight Championship while Elvis Rodriguez faces off against Kenneth Sims Jr. for the BC USNBC Jr. Welterweight Championship.
It will depend on how long the undercard fights take but Taylor and Ramirez are expected on at around 4am BST.
There will be a limited number of fans allowed in to watch the fight, expected to be around 1200.
What’s at stake?
Supremacy in the 140lb division is the prize on offer for Taylor and Ramirez in Nevada. Opportunities to become the undisputed world champion are rare in modern boxing given the fragmented nature of the sport’s governing bodies.
The big four organisations which sanction world title fights are the IBF, the WBA, the WBC and the WBO and all four belts are up for grabs in Vegas this weekend.
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Hide AdSince 1988, there have been only six world title fights across the weight divisions where all four belts have been at stake.
Who is the favourite?
There is unanimity amongst the bookmakers who have Taylor as odds-on favourite. Bet365, Sky Bet, Paddy Power, William Hill, 888sport, Betfair, Betvictor, Unibet, BoyleSports, Sporting Index, Getting Bet and Red Zone have all priced the Scot at 2/5. Ramirez is generally available at 2/1.
How can I watch?
Surprisingly, the fight has been passed over by the big sports networks. ESPN will screen it live in the United States but not in the UK and neither Sky Sports nor BT Sport has stumped up broadcast it.
Boxing fans can still catch the action on the streaming service FITE. It’s available on a pay-per-view basis and the website will stream the contest live and exclusively in this country with coverage due to begin at 1.30am on Sunday. FITE is charging £9.99 to watch the fight.
Form guide
Both men are unbeaten so something’s got to give. Taylor, 30, has won 17 of 17 professional contests, 13 of them by a knockout. At 28, Ramirez is the younger fighter but is more experienced, winning all 26 of his pro bouts, with 17 KOs.
Both men are 5ft 10in but Ramirez has the longer reach at 72in compared to Taylor at 69.5in.
Taylor’s last fight was a first-round knockout of Apinun Khongsong, of Thailand, at York Hall in London in September last year.
Ramirez last fought in August 2020 when he defeated Ukrainian Viktor Postol on points in Las Vegas.
